The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1887-03-05
Che 9aily Balletin,
SATURDAY. MAR. s. 1887.
the MYSTERIOUS NAME.
ONLY THE HIGH PRIEST COULD SPEAK IT.

Once each year, on the Day OF
Atonemcnt, while the Jewish Tenn
pie at Jerusalem remained, the
High Priest was accustomed to pro-
nounce upon the bowed and awe
stricken multitude of worshippers
the blessing which contained the
mysterious name Of God. On no
other occasion, and from the lips of
no other person, could this name be
spoken and when the sacred city
fell before the Roman armies, and
the temple itself was RACED to the
ground, the ceremony likewise Pc
rished and the name was lost.
A peculiar interest in this extra
ordinary name has always been
evinced by scholars and antigua
rians. There is something IN the
mystery that surrounds it, that APP
peals alike to the strict rellgionist
and to the investigator whose only
motive is the desire to explore the
region of the obscure. What was
this name that could not even be
pronounced without blasphemy, and
which has, in consequence, passed
away from the knowledge of man.
kindp
AS is we'll known, the consonants
of the name are JHVH or YHVH !;
and since the time Of Hebraist Gala
tinus the popular usage has been to
pronounced it Jehovah, following
the example of that scholar. Yet
no one believed this TO be in any
way correct, and the ingenuity of
hundreds of commentators has been
taxed to restore the original vOwels.
The name itself, however, it was
primarily pronounced, is one of
marvellous antiquity. 1t is derived
from verb, but was almost forgot
ten in the time of Moses, and its
origin is absolutely lost in the mists
of an antiquity that makes the pyra-
mids seem insufferably modern. 1t
was the essentially national name
given to the Creator by the Jews
the name by which they thought OF
Him in the privacy of their own
, homes, in the presence of their own
altars-too sacred to be spoken,
save once each year and by the lips
). of the consecrated priest of the Mos
High. So hedged about was it will
reverence that the Rabbins do no
!. even dare to write about it, but al
lude to it mysteriously as "Tht
Name" or "The Name of Fou
Letters" in which the Samaritan!
likewise follow them. Yet, although
, it seems so wholly Jewish, some Of
n the most singular condolences arr
II to be found in the usage Of othe
languages. In the Chinese some
thousand years before Christ, there
are illusions to name Of three
mystical letters-IHV,' denotin&
that which none can comprehend
Among the PhGnicians the name
had equal reverence; the Greel
writer's speak of the ''great name
which they imperfectly give AZ
] IEUO or lao; and an inscription
in the adytuna by the temple of Isis
at the Egyptian SAILS recalls thu
same dread tetragrammation. L
would seem almost as though thi
were the title by which primeva
man was divinely taught to worship
his Creator.
: AS has been said, the name, 81
far as can be learned, has neve
been pronounced since Titus de
stroyed the Temple Of Jerusalem il
A. ID. 20. Whether before tina
time 1t was ever in any way full,
committed to writing is quite un
|. known. Some of the Rabbins whit
are unable to deny that the recorded
miracles of Christ were actually
wrought, declare that he accom-
, plished them by accidentally gaining
possession of parchment in whicl
"The Name" was fully written, ant
which thus conferred upon its owne
extraordinary and supernatura
powers. Whether previously writ
ten or not, it must have been so re
}. corded after Jerusalem fell, for W
learn of individuals who preserves
the true pronunciation for man
centuries. Josephus, in his can't
quities," speaks of the name, bu
says it would be unlawful for him t
> explain it. The Jewish Mishn
speaks of Jew named Kamzar, VIII
was aware of the sound of the lei
.. tiers. In fact, as late as the yea
1850 the Oricntalist Leusden met
jew at Amsterdam who professed t
be able TO utter them correctly. Hi
70 family, he said, had preserved I'll
traditional pronunciation by mean
= of writing. Leusden offered tn
n man large sum Of money II h
would utter the word just once, an
his offer was accepted; but shortl
after. and before the payment ha
been made, SO great terror seize
al upon him us to seal his lips, nc
could he be persuaded either b
brides or entreaties to perform h
y promise.
:, The secret, therefore, must be r.
n garded as wholly lost; nor, perhap
N would o spirit of reverence desire